Tank vehicle



May 4, 1926. l 1,583,556

J. A. JENSEN V TANK VEHICLE Filed July 2l, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 d ORNE Ys.

INVENTOR.- mes/Jzzsez/g BY l l l l Q May 4 1926. 1,583,556

J. A. JENSEN TANK VEHCLE Filed July 2l, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheel'I 2 E'IC lV 2 1,1 M 47m. f

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BY 1 I 7i TORNEYS.

May 4 1926.

J. A. JENSEN TANK VEHI CLE Filed July 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 f; Li

WIr/s155555; l INVENTOR.-

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Patented Nll'ay $1,A 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,5fss555I PATENT OFFICE.

.JAMES A. JENSEN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNsYLvANIa'AssIGNoE To QUAKEE CITY moN wonxs, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- SYL'VANIA.

' VTANK VEHICLE.

Application filed. July 21, 1924. Serial o.' 727,193.

To all whom t many concern? Be it known that I, JAMES A. JENSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank Vehicles, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to tank vehicles of the automobile type ordinarily employed in transporting and vending fuel oils, lubricating oils, or other fluid commodities, and wherein the tanks are usually composed ofa l5 series of separate units which are secured to one another, and the'whole lashed to the wheeled support or chassis of the vehicle.

My invention is directed to structural improvements calculated to insure the tank sections against relative displacement, also from shifting with respect to the wheeled support; as well as to other details contributing to render the tank sections capable of better withstanding both the severe shocks attending the travel of the vvehicle over rough roads, and the strains induced by the surging of the contents, without yielding to fracture or opening of the junctures between their component parts. l

The advantages accruing to my invention will become readily apparent from the detailed description hereinafter of a typical embodiment thereof, the yappended claims serving to define those features vwhich I believe to Jbe novel and wholly within the scope of the present improvements.

With reference to the drawings, Fig. I is a side elevation of a tank vehicle wherein the novel features of my invention are incor orated. l

ig. II is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. III is a fragmentary detailview showing in cross section, the cradle frame whereon the tank is mounted.

Fig. IV is a bottom plan view of one of the transverse beams of said cradle frame.

Fig. V is a detail cross sectional view showing certain structural details of adjacent tank units and the manner in which said units are joined together.

Fig. VI is a detail illustration showing the means employed in securing the transverse members of the cradle frame to its longitudinals or sill rails.

Fig. VII is a diagrammatic detail view shoWmg the manner of securing a storage box to the cradle frame in alignment with the tank; and

Fig. V-III is a fragmentary detail sectional view, on a larger scale than the preceding,

showing the juncture between said box and the tank to better advantage.

As shown in Figs. I and II, the Complete vehicle organization comprises a wheeled served that this cradle mounting 3 comprises a pair of sill rails --preferably of timber-adapted to rest respectively upon the side rails 6--6 of the chassis frame and rigidly secured to the latter by a number of embracing strap bolts 7 The cradle frame 3 further comprises al series of transverse beams 8 allocated at suitably spaced intervalslengthwise ofthe sillrails 5, and formed from standard structural iron of I cross section altered as hereinafter noted. As a means for securing the transverse beams 8 to the sill rails 5 ofthe cradle frame 3,V I employ U-bolts 9 in cooperative pairs, said bolts embracing the sill rails 5 and having their e ds projecting through slots 10 -in the botlbm flanges 11-11 of the transverse beams 8 at opposite sides of the central webs 12A of the latter, and washer plates 13 interposed beneath their securing nuts 14 to cover said slots, see Fig. VI. The U-bolts 9 thus functiqn not only as the securing means, but act toV prevent splitting of the wood, and should the latter contingency occur, serve to hold the split lparts together. Furthermore, the U-bolts 9 beara ainst three sides of the wood sills 5, and t us prevent them from rocking'in a direction laterally of the vehicle and with respect to the transverse beams 8. As shown in Figs. IIL-VI, the sill rails 5 are notched at the bottom as at 15 to accommodate the cross or connecting portions of the U-boltsr9, the notches being lined with inserts 16 of channel iron which rotect the wood from wearing away or crus ng. The

the junctures between them.

their ends, the shells 21 are beads to fit the grooves 23 o like the arcuate segments referred to of the component bolts 9 of each pair are purposel pitched coplementarily to the vertical as shown so as to better oppose displacement of the transverse beams 8 relative to the longitudinals 5. This contingency is further guarded against by recesslng the sill rails slightly to receive the base flaiiges 11 of the transverse beamsS, see Fig. I. By provision of the slots 10 in the bottom ales 11 of the transverse beams 8, the cr le frame 3 may 'be adjusted to ada t it to chassis frames of various widths. is adjustment will also permit shifting of the' transverse beams 8 relatively tothe sill beams 5 and thereby facilitate mounting of the tank 4 on said frame. T'he upper flanges and the vertical webs 12 of the transverse beams 8 are cut away at the center as shown at 17 in Fig. III, the cuts being curved to corres ond to the cross-sectional configuration of t e tank 4, which in the instance shown, is oval or elli tical. The edges of the bights thus forme in the bea-ms 8 are topped by arcuate segments 18 secured in a central golsition relativel to the webs '12, prefera ly by welding. 'Ihe transverse beams 8 are, moreover, reduced at their extremities as at 19-19 leaving ends of T-cross section that are suiiciently strong to serve as out-rigger arms for sustaining side platforms which are usually employed to carry other varieties of the fluid commodities in cans and the like.

The tank 4 is not an integral structure, but is composed of a number of separate axiall aligned units or sections 20-20, each com lete in itself and comprisin a tubular shell)A 21, and attached closure he s 22 which are inwardly dished as shown in Fig. V to better withstand lateral thrusts. Adjacent provided with inwardly rolledbeads 23 which aii'ord internal shoulders against which the heads 22 seat; and the ends of the shells 21 are lapped over circumferential beads 24 of the heads 22, thereby to hold the latter in assemblage. Fluid tightness as well as greater rigidity of the tank units 20 may be had by welding the shells 21 and the heads 22 to ther along le mounting the tank units 20 upon the cradle frame 3, the same are arranged in abutting relation as shown in Figs. I and V, and the contiguous abutting ends are in each instance supported jointly by one of the transverse beams 8 of the cradle frame 3,.- the arcuate segments 18 of which are formed with ed beads 25 adapted to fit the external troug s of the beads 23 of said units. Gaskets 26 of felt or other suitable yielding material are interposed at th'e regions just descri to cushion the tank ends, and to compensate for any irregularities in them. The units 20 are secured together by stra 28 with edge gsthe tank umts transverse beams 8 and constituting complements of the latter, see Fi V. At the ends, the straps 28 are provide with ea 29 for passage of tie bolts 30 which appropriately anchored at op osite sides of the transverse beams 8 as s own in Fig. III. Supplemental straps 3l engaging over the straps 28 and tied to the transverse beams 8 as shown in Fig. III, afford additional means for securin the tank units 20 to the cradle frame 3. hese tank units 20 are thus effectively tied to each other and lashed to the cradle frame 3 in a manner which will insure them a ainst shifting and yet allow suilicient exi ility to avoid fracture or opening of their seams under vibrations imparted during travel of the vehicle.

In the intervals or hollows jointly formed by the inwardly-dished heads 22 of adjacent tank units 20, I insert filler pieces 32 (see Fig. V) preferably of non-rigid material such as wood, these to serve as spacers and to strengthen the heads 22 against surging of the tank contents, the latter contingenc being offset in a lateral direction b aille plates 33 extending longitudinally etween the heads of the respective units and secured thereto by wing plates 34.

To the rear end of the tank 4is appended a box 35 designed for use as a Stora e compartment for measuring vessels or ot er accessories needed in dispensing the fluid commodities, said box being accessible through an upwardly-swingable door 362 see F1 II), normally held closed by a suita le catc shown at 37. The box 35 is generally rectangular in cross section, having straight sides and bottom, its top curved or arched in correspondence with the tank 4. At the inner end, the box 35 has an integral laterally-extending annular iiange 38 adapted to fit about the contiguous end of the rearmost of the tank units 20, see Fi VII. The ange 38 is circumferential y beaded as at 39, see Fig. VIII, to interengage with the uperimetric recess 23 of the rear-most tank unit 20, and the latter is provided with an additional recess 40 so that a strap 41 similar to thestraps 28 maybe employed in securing said unit and the box continuously together. A second or supplemental strap 42 is also employed to lash the unit and the box to the cradle frame 3. The rear head 22 of the rear-most tank unit 20 is concealed and protected by a plate 43 which forms the back wall of the box 35, said plate being secured by welding or otherwise against an internal shoulder 44 formedv by a bead in the wall of said box.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tank vehicle including a wheeled support, an auxiliary frame roviding a cradle for/the tank, said auxiliary fra-me comprising longitudinal sill rails and a being, however,

series of spaced transverse structural beams having bottom flan es seating in recesses onthe top of the sai sill rails, and securing means in the fo'rm of U-bolts embracing the sill rails and passing through elongated slots in the base flanges of the transverse beams, the cross portions of said U-bolts being accommodated in notches at the bottom of the sill rails to permit relative adjustment of said rails and beams in suiting the cradle frame to the'wheeled support, as well as aiording compensative adjustment ,for the beams to facilitate mounting of the tank on the frame.

2. In a. tank vehicle including a wheeled support, an auxiliary vframe providing a cradle for the tank, said frame com rising longitudinal sill rails and a series o interengagin'g transverse I-beams, and securing means in the form of U-bolts coo erating in pairs to embrace the sill rails an to engage y oppositesides of said beams, the components'of each pair of U-bolts being oppo-A sitely inclined so as to brace the transverse beams against thrusts in a direction fore and aft ofthe vehicle. l

v3. In a'tank vehicle including a wheeled support, an auxiliary frame providing a cradle for vthe tank, said frame com rising longitudinal sill rails and a series o .transverse I-beams having the bottom flanges seating in recesses at the top of the sill rails, and securing means in the form of U-bolts cooperating in pairs to embrace the sill rails and engage the base flan es of the transverse beams'at opposite sies of the vertical webs, the cross portions of said U-bolts being accommodated in notches at the bottom of the sill rails, and the components of each `pair of U-bolts being oppositely inclined so as to brace the transverse beams against thrust in a direction fore and aft of the vehicle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 17th day of July 1924.

vJAMES A. JENSEN. 

